


It's Platonic

by Lyra_Kero



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Denial of Feelings, Growing Up Together, It gets a little spicy at the end?, Like wow these two, M/M, Nothing big but just bear in mind, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Trans Keith (Voltron), Yeah sure Jan, like hardcore, slight nsfw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 04:07:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17480873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyra_Kero/pseuds/Lyra_Kero
Summary: Keith and Lance are friends. Very close friends. Anything that looks like romance between the two of them is strictly platonic and you should definitely not look into it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In the span of like 2 hours I wrote this instead of working on other things.  
> Because I have no sense of self control.

They’d been friends for years. _Literal years._  
Lance moved into the house across from Keith and the two struck a rather rocky friendship. Lance claimed they were rivals because Keith had taken the blue crayon at kindergarten during arts and crafts. They got better about it by third grade and the two had been good, proper friends since.

 

They’d come out to each other first, Lance sitting down in Keith’s room, hesitantly and quietly talking about how he thought some guys were attractive, and Keith had been in near tears when he talked about how he felt like a guy, didn’t like his name or the clothes he had to wear during middle school. The two were there for each other, helping one another when the local punks and bullies came by and tried to talk shit to either of them.

In middle school is when they met Hunk and Pidge, and the group were always there for one another, hanging out and having fun. Joking and laughing and causing mischief. It was good and nice, but Lance and Keith were always close. Never one without the other.

 

Maybe too close, sometimes.

 

Pidge was the one who pointed it out one day. The group were in high school, Lance was sitting under the shade of a tree, talking animatedly as he waved his hands around. Keith was at his side, head laying casually on his friend’s shoulder, their legs crossed and linked together. Hunk sat on Lance’s other side but kept a good, respectable distance and Pidge, herself, was across from the trio. She stared at them, allowing Lance to finish his train of thought before she spoke.  
“You two are really close.”

“Well, duh.” Lance scoff, grinning, “Keith’s like my best bud in the world.” He turned to Hunk, “No offence, big guy. But Keith was here first.”  
“Hey, I’m cool with it.” Hunk held up his hands, shrugging. “He’s got seniority.”

The three laughed, Pidge only shook her head.

“No I mean,” she narrowed her eyes, “You two aren’t… dating are you?”

 

That promptly stopped the laughter. Both Lance and Keith blinked, turning to look towards one another, and they scoffed.  
“No?”  
“We’re friends, Pidge.” Keith still didn’t peel himself from Lance’s side. “We’ve been together since Kindergarten.”  
“Third grade. I hated your guts until then.” Lance corrected, digging through his bag. 

“Fine, third grade.” the black haired boy rolled his eyes, “But I tried to be your friend back then. You were the one who was stubborn.”

“You love it.” Lance playfully batted his eyes before pulling out a candy bar and held it out to Keith. “Here, told you I’d pay you back.”  
“Thanks.” Keith grinned, taking the candy and opened it up.

 

“But you’re always touching. And cuddling.” Pidge waved her hand between the two of them. “Like right now. You’re practically hanging all over him, Keith.”

“Pidge, we touch and cuddle planatonically.”  
“Platonically.” Keith gently corrected, breaking off a chunk of chocolate and held it up to Lance’s mouth. “I don’t think _planatonic_ is a word?”

“Close enough.” Lance leaned over and ate the chocolate from Keith’s hand. No shame.

Pidge made a noise, pointing at them.  
“Platonic, Pidge.”  
“It’s purely platonic.”

 

 

High school went by as high school usually does. Drama and tears and laughter and love. Lance never dated anyone, neither did Keith. They never tried to pursue anyone, and no one ever tried to ask them out.  
Mainly because everyone saw what Pidge and Hunk saw. The two would walk to school together, laughing and bumping shoulders and hips together. (“Platonically.”)

 

Then Lance started to hold Keith’s hand during lunch and study hall. And when they’d all go out to hang around town. Their fingers intertwined, clasped tight. They’d tug at one another’s hand, dragging them around as they pointed out things and places they wanted to go. At the mall, Lance would help Keith pick out clothes and wait outside the changing room for him to try them on.

 

Pidge watched them, now, as they stopped in front of a classroom. Keith’s next class. The two were hugging in what Pidge would call a textbook Lover’s Embrace. Keith nuzzled into Lance’s neck and Lance buried his nose into Keith’s hair.

Pidge rolled her eyes.

 

“Lovebirds, chop chop.” She said, tapping her foot, ignoring Hunk nudging her. She didn’t care if she was rude. “The late bell’s gonna ring in like three minutes.”

“We’re not lovebirds.” Lance muttered into his friend’s hair. “We’re hugging platonically.”  
“Well hug _platonically_ faster.”

 

The two rolled their eyes and pulled apart.  
“See ya at lunch.” Keith said, smiling at Lance.  
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Lance winked back.

 

 _“Two minutes!”_  
The two waved to one another before Keith slipped into his class and Pidge was already hustling as fast as her short legs would carry her in hopes of making it to her class before they were late.

 

By some miracle they made it.

 

 

 

It was graduation day and the quartet were ecstatic. And frightened. And so many other emotions. They were a Katamari of emotions, ready to be compressed into bright brilliant stars or dense black holes in the sky.  
The group had laughed and hugged, Lance picking up Keith when he saw him and spun him around before they all had to fall in line for the ceremony. More smiles and tears were shed.

 

So Pidge blames it on the ball of feelings she had in her chest when she pushed through the crowds, searching for her friends, and screeched. She’d found Lance and Keith.

In all the chaos of everyone throwing their hats and yelling and silly string being sprayed and parents and guardians blowing air horns, Lance and Keith had managed to find a pocket void of students pushing and nudging everyone in their way. Embraced in a _platonic_ Lover’s Embrace. And sucking face.

 

Alright, they weren’t, but they still were attached at the mouth, pressed up close and tight to one another and had their hands threading through each other’s hair.

 

“Awww!!!” Hunk’s voice broke through the noise. “They got together!”  
“About damn time.” Pidge sighed, raising her voice. “Hey! New couple!” she and Hunk hurried forward, Lance and Keith had enough time to break apart before she was bouncing up and had her friends catch her. They fell into a pile and laughed, holding onto her. “We’re fucking out of here!”

“Yes!” Lance cried, throwing up a fist. “Freedom!”  
“Freedom!” Keith echoed. Followed by Pidge. Then Hunk. and soon the battle cry was rippling through the entire graduating class.

 

It was after their families found them, had pulled them away to take pictures and praise and cry over them, that the four managed to get together again. The crowds were dying down, Lance was holding Keith’s hand, thumb gently tracing along his knuckles.  
“So, what are you going to do?” Pidge asked.  
“Dunno. Might try college.” Lance shrugged, Keith gently beginning to swing their joined hands.  
“College is kind of the next suggested choice.” the black haired boy frowned. “I don’t know what I’d even want to study though.”

“Well, you two are obviously going to want to move in together.” Hunk said, smiling. “Pidge and I can visit you two.”  
“Why aren’t you two going to live with us?” Lance looked up, confused. “I figured we’d all like… pitch in and buy a nice apartment we can all live in.”

“You still want that?” Pidge frowned, “We don’t want to intrude on you two.”  
“Yeah, I mean, new couple status and all. We figured you two would want to be alone.” Hunk wiggled his eyebrows.

 

Lance and Keith shared a look.  
“We’re … not a couple?”  
“We’ve been over this before.” Keith sighed, “We’re not dating.”

 

“You two were playing twister with your tongues after the ceremony!” Pidge threw her hands up. “I was pretty sure you two would have started the four-legged foxtrot right in the middle of everyone!”

“We were caught up in the moment!” Lance threw his own hands up, taking Keith’s with his. “I told you, Pidge. We’re friends! It’s--”

“Yeah, yeah.” Pidge groaned. “ _It’s platonic_!”

 

She was going to go insane. At least Hunk seemed to share her pain.

 

 

The four bought their apartment. Between part-time jobs they could find, they managed to keep it and keep up expenses for food and school.  
Hunk met Shay during one of his courses, the two instantly hitting it off and becoming flustered, blushing messes. It was a pure, sweet, love-at-first-sight moment. Lance practically begged Hunk to invite her over so they could all formally meet her.

 

Which led to this moment where everyone was laughing and talking and Keith was sitting in Lance’s lap as if he belonged there.  
“So,” Shay turned, smiling over to the two. “How long have you two been together?”  
“Ugh!” Pidge grabbed a pillow off the couch and shoved her face into it, screaming. Hunk threw his head back, covering his own face and groaned. Bless her, Shay turned to the other two in concern before Lance waved his hand.

“We’re not together.”  
“Lance and I have been friends since we were little.” Keith smiling, his fingers tracing over Lance’s hand that was still draped across his stomach. “We’re just close.”

“Really close.” Shay blushed a bit, “Sorry for assuming.”  
“It’s cool.” Lance smiling, bringing his hand back around his friend. “Don’t worry about it.”

“You two,” Pidge pulled her face out of the pillow, cheeks red and eyes narrowed, “Seriously? You hold hands, make out, flirt and laugh and kiss each other goodnight. You might as well be dating!”

“Then I guess we’re dating platonically.” Lance shrugged and Keith only hummed in agreement. Pidge buried her face into the pillow and screamed again.

 

 

 

“Oh.” Shay frowned, blushing as she looked down at her hands. “I forgot my keys I think?” She felt around her pockets, as Hunk opened the door to his car for her.  
“Uh, oh.” he frowned, but Pidge sighed.  
“I’ll run back inside and grab them.” she offered. “I want to grab my DS anyway since Hunk’s going to drop me off at my brother’s place. We’ve got a score to settle on who has the better village.”

“Thank you, Pidge.” Shay smiled warmly as she got into the car.  
“I’ll keep the engine running.” Hunk yelled after her, watching as his friend hurried back into the complex. She took the elevator, swinging her keys around as she walked back down the hallway and unlocked the door.

 

“Hey, losers!” she called out, “Shay forgot her keys. You guys see them any…..”

 

Pidge dropped her keys and stared, blinking once.  
Twice.

 

“What the fuck are you doing?”

 

She wasn’t dumb to this sort of thing. She knew. _She fucking knew_ what they were doing.  
Their clothes were stripped. Keith was wearing Lance’s hoodie as he straddled the boy’s lap. Lance’s hands were firmly planted on Keith’s naked and exposed (and red. Very red.) rump. Their lips were swollen and shiny with spit, their necks littered with bites and hickeys.

 

“You two. Are fucking.” She answered her own question.

 

Keith and Lance, flushed red, mid-coitus, looked towards one another, before looking back towards their friend.  
“Yes. We’re having sex.” Lance said.  
“But platonically.”

 

Pidge threw a pillow at them and screamed.


	2. Deleted Scenes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So uh, these are just a couple parts that I wanted to add to the story but wasn't sure how to like... fit them in without making everything kind of bogged down and cluttered looking (plus since I wound up making it kind of through Pidge's eyes after high school... -shrug-)
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

(After they came out to each other, but before they met Hunk and Pidge)

 _“You’re just a freak, Kogane!”_ Keith felt bile burning his throat at those words. _“You’re always going to be a freak and no one will ever want to be around your sorry ass!”_

His eyes burned as he buried his face into his knees, legs drawn up and arms wound tight around them. It didn’t matter that Lance had been there to yell at the other kid. It mattered that his friend was suddenly being attacked, though, and that’s when Keith had punched the kid. Now he’d just gotten out of detention. His parents had been told what had happened by the school, Lance and Keith himself and a few other children who had been around when the brawl had broken out. The point the school was making, though, was Keith was somehow in the wrong for defending his friend.  
He didn’t want to be there when that storm was over, so that’s why he was out on the playground, hiding underneath the slides, but Lance was there.

Lance was always there.

 

Lance hugged him, told him the opposite.  
“You’re so strong. You’re not a freak, Keith. You’re you, and that’s the best thing to be.”

“Don’t get all Mister Rogers on me.” Keith sniffed, voice cracking as he rubbed at his face.  
“Mister Rogers is an icon among men!” Keith finally managed a small smile, “And he’d love you just the way you are.”  
“Jeez, you sap.”

 

Lance sat down next to his friend, the two gently tracing lines in the sand.  
“Do you think I’ll ever find a boyfriend?” Keith asked, frowning a bit.  
“Sure!” Lance turned, smiling brightly. “You two are gonna be super happy, too.”  
“I hope he’s nice. And sweet. And makes me smile and feel better when I’m sad.” He glanced over to his friend, brushing a bit of hair from his face. It was getting long again, but Keith kind of missed being able to tie it up while it was short. Maybe he’ll let it grow a little bit longer.

“He better be all those things.” Lance puffed out his chest, “If he’s not, then he’s gonna have to deal with me!” He raised up an arm, flexing. Keith laughed, joyfully.  
“What if he wants to kiss me?”

“Uh, then you kiss him when you’re comfy?” Lance frowned. “And if he’s a douche then you kick him where it hurts.”  
“What if he’s a better kisser than me?” the black haired boy’s voice grew softer as he lowered his gaze, feeling his face burn. “What if he decides to not be with me because I’m really sucky at kissing?”

Lance hummed, before tapping his friend’s shoulder. Keith turned his head, raising an eyebrow before he was met with Lance’s lips gently pressing against his. 

The moment lasted only a few seconds, then the Cuban boy was pulling back, smiling widely. “I think you’re alright.”  
Keith blushed deeper, but smiled, “Really?”  
“Yeah!”

 

Keith smiled, leaning in and kissing Lance.  
“Thanks, Lance. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”  
“Pretty sure I’m the only friend you’ve ever had.” The two broke out into laughter, happily leaning against each other until they heard their parents yelling for them, saying it was time to go home.

(Hunk and Pidge are the two other kids who vouched for Keith, they all became friends after that.)

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

 

The two lounged in Keith’s bed, laughing and trying to keep silent while their friends slept in their own rooms.  
They’d finally gotten their apartment the previous week, but decided to wait to celebrate until today. After all, it was Keith’s birthday and he was finally twenty-one and could actually legally go out and buy alcohol. Which is exactly what they all had done.

 

Hunk and Pidge retired early, neither really being able to hold their liquor, leaving Lance and Keith to stay in the living room, drinking and laughing and playing video games before stumbling down the hall towards their rooms.  
How they both ended up in Keith’s room was a mystery to them, but they were both too comfy to really care.

“You’re so soft.” Keith muttered, kissing his friend’s cheek.  
“Oh my gosh, you lush.” Lance laughed, “You always get super clingy when you get alcohol in you.”

“Mhmm,” Keith grinned, wrapping his arms around the Cuban boy, holding him in place. “You’re trapped.”  
“I am, huh?”  
“Y’ep. Trapped, trapped, trapped.” Keith rolled them, Lance allowing himself to fall on his back, Keith laying on his chest and stomach.

“You’re finally caught up to us.” Lance grinned, and Keith groaned.  
“Shhhush.” Keith reached up, placing a finger to his friend’s lips. “You’re only, like… four months older than me?” Keith narrowed his eyes, lips silently mouthing out months before he gasped, sitting up, straddling Lance’s stomach. “Oh, my god!”

“What?” Lance blinked, hands gently settling on Keith’s legs.  
“We’re all four months apart!” Keith flailed his arms before holding out his hands, “Hunk, January. February, March, April, Pidge.” He held up four fingers. “April, May, June, July, you!” Eight fingers, four on each. “July, August, September, October, me!!” He looked down to his hands, frowning a bit before shrugging. Lance only blinked at him before his own eyes went wide.

“Oh, my gosh you’re right.”  
“I’m right.” Keith nodded, his hands planting themselves on Lance’s chest. He looked down, rubbing his hands along his friend’s body. “Whoa. You’ve been working out?”  
“A bit?” Lance sat up slightly when Keith tugged at his shirt and laughed when it was pulled off and thrown across the room. “Dude!”  
“Shush!” Keith traced his fingers along the defined muscles. “ _Dude!_ You’re ripped!”

“I’m not _ripped_ ,” Lance laughed, letting his head fall back against Keith’s pillows. “Besides, you’ve got some pretty good muscles, too.”  
“I’m still like… soft in places.” Keith mumbled, distracted. “It’s whatever. But you have _pecs_!” As if to prove his point, Keith placed both his hands over Lance’s chest and squeezed. Lance only laughed louder, swatting his friend’s hands away.

“Stop! You’re going to wake Hunk and Pidge.”  
“You’re the one cackling like a hyena.” Keith grinned before he sighed, letting his head tilt, his eyes glancing over to the wall where he’d pinned pictures of all of his friends and family.

 

“You want to have sex?” Lance opened his eyes, not sure when he’d closed them, and looked at his friend.  
“Uh, some day.” Lance shrugged, “I mean, I think about it sometimes. But I want to have my first be with someone special.”  
“Me too.” Keith drummed his fingers against Lance’s chest. “I don’t want to lose my virginity to some loser who's going to make it weird or be a jerk.” 

 

The two friends were quiet a moment before Lance sat up and wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist, looking up to him. “How about me?”  
“Huh?” Keith blinked, shaking himself from whatever thoughts he’d been having. “What about you?”

“You could have sex with me. I won’t make it weird or be a jerk. Plus, it’ll be both of our firsts, so it’s not like we’ll really have much expectations.” He shrugged, before he smiled, “Besides that, I think it’ll be special.”

 

Keith listened to him, wrapping his arms around Lance’s shoulders, letting his forehead rest against Lance’s. He closed his eyes, gently biting his lip as he thought.  
“We don’t have any condoms or anything.”  
“Corner store’s open twenty-four seven. And I doubt it’s the weirdest thing that clerk has seen someone buy at…” Lance looked over at Keith’s clock, “one fourteen in the morning.”

 

Keith made a small noise as he thought about it, Lance gently rubbing his friend’s back, letting him take his time in deciding. After a while, Keith opened up his eyes.  
“Promise to be gentle?”  
“Promise.” Lance leaned forward and kissed his friend’s lips. “You tell me if you’re hurting or if I’m doing something wrong and I’ll stop and we can just take a bath.”

 

Keith smiled, laughing before playfully brushing his nose against Lance’s. “Go get your shirt, then.” He carefully got up, stumbling from his legs having fallen asleep. Lance laughed and followed his friend, the two managing, somehow, to sneak quietly out of the apartment and down the street to the store, and were even more silent when they crept back in, hand in hand as they slid into Lance’s room, deciding his was farther away and, therefore, a better place to have sex in. The two blushed, looking to one another as they gently closed the door behind them and made their way towards the bed.

 

Neither Hunk or Pidge seemed aware of what happened when the two left Lance’s room, Keith wearing Lance’s shirt and Lance wearing nothing but sweat clothes.  
It’s not like it was the first time the two had _platonically made out_ and left hickies on each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -jazz hands-

**Author's Note:**

> They started dating properly afterwards.


End file.
